The present invention relates to an arrangement for determining dimensions of and distances on three-dimensional objects.
In the workshop industry, mechanical or electronic vernier calipers are used traditionally to measure distances between points on an object to be measured. However, it is sometimes the case that the shape or configuration of the object to be measured is such as to make it impossible to apply calipers in order to measure distances between certain points on the object. This is primarily the case when measuring in three dimensions. Such measurements can be readily determined in traditional coordinate measuring machines. However, these machines are much too expensive and much too complicated in many cases, for instance in the case of small workshops and/or simple production items. There is therefore a need for a simple measuring arrangement that will enable aspects of three-dimensional objects to be measured irrespective of the shape of these objects.
The object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional object measuring arrangement of simple construction which has a low manufacturing cost and which can be easily manoeuvered manually. The invention also relates to an arrangement of such principle construction as to enable a truly portable mini-measuring machine to be obtained.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with an arrangement of the kind defined in the introduction and is characterized in that said arrangement includes a pillar, an arm, which is journalled for linear movement in a rotatable guide member which is carried by the pillar and which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said pillar and an axis perpendicular thereto, a measuring probe mounted on one end of the arm, and an angle indicator for measuring rotational movements of the guide member about its rotational axes, and a scale for measuring linear movement of the arm.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the pillar is supported by a foot and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. The height of the pillar can also be adjusted. The measuring probe includes a measuring tip holder which carries a measuring tip in the form of a measuring ball or the like at one end thereof and the other end of which holder is attached to the arm for rotation about an axis that extends parallel with the rotational axis of the arm. The arrangement also includes means for calculating and disclosing the distance between successive placements of the measuring tip, with the aid of the angle indicator values current at that time and with the aid of the linear scale values current at that time, in response to rotation and linear movement.
In one variant of the arrangement, the pillar includes an upper part which carries the guide member and the arm and which is rotatably connected to the remainder of the pillar.